The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-09

An Optic Removed and That OF =
Rabbit substituted.


New York World. Upon rabbits trans
plantation has proven eminently sue
cessful, but upon man it has never been
given fair trial until the beginning of
this month. The experiment was then
tried in this city and, so far as trans
plantation is concerned. was perfect
success. The eye of live rabbit was
placed in the empty conjunctival sac OF
man, the muscles. nerves and tissues
united, and the eye actually became
part of the human organism. How
ever, as a whole, the experiment was
failure, arising from the difficulty en-
countered during the healing period
This difficulty is attributed to the in
sufficient vitality of the rabbits eye. AS
the muscular power of man is greater
than that of the rabbit. so the muscular
action of the eye is greater, and this
action the transplanted eye was unable
TO withstand.
One naturally inquiries why the rab-
bits eve was used. Because the rabbit s
eve, although somewhat smaller, comes
nearer in resemblance to the human
eve than that of any other animal. The
arrangement of muscles and blood-ves-
sells in the rabbit is identical with that
of the human eye. This is the Iirst
time the experiment was ever tried UNI
der favorable conditions, and the fact
that it will probably never be attempted
again makes the case remarkable one.
OF course, if the eyes of man could be
transplanted it would be within bounds
to antic pate successful results, but as
there might be objections to this, the
feasibility of transportation in man
NAV be regarded as practically and
finally settled
The experimental operat on was per-
formed upon Mr.. Charles Alfred Will
liams, CITY Editor of the Minneapolis
Tribune, by DR.. Charles ii. May, in
structor in ophthalmology at the New
York Polytechnic and clinical assistant
in the same department at the New
York College of Physicians and Sur
geons. He was assisted by DR.. h.
Gruenng. also prominent oculist of
this city. and DR.. Wilmer, of Mt. Sinai
Hospital, in the presence OF a half-doz-
ell SluutnlS Vi b1t lusLltu'ioho uuhOus
at No. 1l9 East Fifty-ninth street.
The operation was originated and
first attempted by the eminent French
oculst, DIR. Chibret, of Paris, on May
4. 1885. and first recorded in the Paris
ian General 'RsuieW Of Ophthdtmotogy
on the 3lst of the same month In re-
viewing the operation, Chibret strong
ly argued against further attempts up
on human beings, until the success OF
the operation had been proven by re-
peated trials upon the rabbit. How
ever, his advice was not closely follow
ed. and no less than four failures were
recorded within five months following
the report of the first case Success in
any OF these cases would have been
considered a miracle, for in no instance
had any previous experiments been at
tempted. In one case dogs eye was
used.
Quite naturally these I expert
ments and the subsequent re-
views in the medical journals at
tracted much attention. II the eye
of q rabbit could be used to replace a
defective eye in man, it would estab-
lish new era in ophthalmology. The
French artificial, or glass, eyes would
be laid aside. Instead of being both
cred by them the unfortunate could be
supplied with a living eye, operated by
the same muscles and moving in unison
with his nninjured eye, and so nearly
alike in size and color that only the
most experienced oculst could distin-
guish the difference. Sight alone could
not be transferred. The Importance
of the operation if successful, is thus
made manifest without even consider
ing the expense attached to replacing
glass eyes.
Il remained for a New York oculist
to carry out the suggestions of DIR. Chi
bret. DIR. Chas. II. May determined to
thoroughly test transportation upon
rabbits. He began his experiments
Jan. 30, 1886, and during the next two
or three months operated upon no less
than twenty-four rabbits. Notwith-
standing the trouble encountered in
keeping the bandages upon the animals,
the results obtained under favorable
circumstances were carefully noted, the
favorable condition were taken advant-
age of, and his skill in the manipula-
ton of the instruments increasing as
the experiments progressed, success
was at last attained. Having now ac-
quired the knowledge of what was nee
essary and almost absolute accuracy in
technique. the transportation of the
eve of one rabbit to the head of another
was successful in four other cases. The
rabbits lived, and. although blind IN
one eve this defect could only be dis